Struggling Mets, likely out of contention, building strong foundation for the future

Friday

Jul 19, 2013 at 2:00 AMJul 20, 2013 at 12:18 AM

Like their crosstown rivals in the Bronx, the Mets also entered the All-Star break in fourth place in their division.

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY

Like their crosstown rivals in the Bronx, the Mets also entered the All-Star break in fourth place in their division.

Unlike the Yankees, the Mets are already all but out of contention at 11 games back in the NL East.

This was not an unexpected turn of events for a club that lost ace Johan Santana for the season to an anterior capsule tear in his throwing shoulder.

What figured to be a lackluster offense, aside from David Wright, has indeed come up short. The starting pitching, however, has been quite good, even without Santana, but the bullpen remains a problem area.

The Times Herald-Record takes a look at how the Mets have done in the first half, position-by-position.

Starting pitchers

Matt Harvey has certainly pitched like an ace in his first full season as the team's No. 1 starter. He's 7-2 with a 2.35 ERA and has struck out 147 and allowed 91 hits in 130 innings pitched. Harvey started the All-Star Game, the first time a Met has had that honor since Doc Gooden got the nod in 1988.

Jonathon Niese, who figured to be the Mets' No. 2 starter, has not lived up to expectations after signing a five-year extension in April 2012. Niese is 3-6 with a 4.32 ERA and is currently on the disabled list with a partial rotator-cuff strain.

Shaun Marcum, acquired as a low-risk free agent in the offseason, could have been trade bait with a strong first half. Instead, Marcum was dreadful, going 1-10 with a 5.29 ERA. Marcum will miss the rest of the season with Thoracic outlet syndrome.

Jeremy Hefner has filled in quite capably in Marcum's spot. He has an MLB-best 1.64 ERA since June 4.

Dillon Gee has been exactly what one would expect out of a fourth starter, going 7-7 with a 4.32 ERA. After missing the second half of the 2012 season because of a blood clot, Gee has bounced back to provide the second-most innings (1101/3) from a starter behind Harvey.

Zack Wheeler has made five first-half starts and has showed promise, but he also has quite a way to go to reach Harvey's level. Wheeler is 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA, but he's walked 18 and struck out 21 in 28 innings. His rookie audition will continue this summer, but the Mets might shut him down at some point in September depending on his workload.

Harvey is one of the best starters in baseball and Wheeler could someday reach that level if he continues to improve. With Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard also nearing call-ups to the majors, the starting-pitching future is bright. It's just not quite there yet.

Grade: B

Relief pitchers

The Mets' bullpen was a chief cause of the team's woes in 2012, but it's been somewhat better this year. With a bullpen ERA of 4.07, the Mets edge out only Chicago (4.35) and Philadelphia (4.39) in the National League.

Closer Bobby Parnell is 5-4 with 17 saves and a 2.30 ERA in 42 appearances. He's struck out 38, walked 10 and allowed 29 hits in 43 innings. Parnell, 28, would be an attractive trade chip at the deadline, but the Mets claim they'd like to hang on to their homegrown closer for now.

LaTroy Hawkins, at age 40, hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. He's 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA in 40 appearances. He has allowed four home runs and more hits (48) than innings pitched (40﻿1/3 innings).

Lefty specialist Scott Rice has been a near-daily sight out of the bullpen, appearing in 49 games in his rookie season at age 31. He's held lefties to a .173 batting average, but he's allowing righties to hit .405 against him.

The rest of the bullpen has not fared as well. Brandon Lyon was recently released. Josh Edgin pitched poorly early, but he hasn't allowed a run in nine July appearances. Greg Burke has allowed 36 hits in 26﻿1/3 innings. Scott Atchison made his way back to the majors after experiencing numbness in his pitching hand, only to injure his groin as he threw warm-up pitches in his first appearance off the disabled list.

Frank Francisco, who is rehabbing through elbow problems, has no timetable for his return.

Grade: C

Catchers

John Buck, acquired from Toronto in the R.A. Dickey trade, made quite a debut with the Mets. He hit .241 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in April, but he's slumped badly ever since. By the All-Star break, Buck's average had dipped to .218 and he added just five home runs and 23 RBI in May, June and July combined. Anthony Recker has hit five homers and driven in 13 as Buck's backup, but he's hitting .171.

Prospect Travis d'Arnaud, who also came to the Mets in the Dickey trade, has been battling a broken foot he suffered in April. He was expected to have joined the big-league club by now, but he might not see him behind the plate until September, if at all this season.

Grade: B—

Infield

First base

Ike Davis' career trend of poor first halves continued in 2013. In fact, Davis was so bad the Mets sent him to Triple-A Las Vegas for 21 games, this one year after he hit 32 home runs and had 90 RBI in the majors.

Davis, a career .225 hitter before the All-Star break, carried a .165 batting average into this week's festivities at Citi Field. He's hit three doubles, five homers and has 18 RBI in 239 plate appearances at the big-league level. Despite spending one month in the minors, Davis is third on the team with 73 strikeouts. Only Marlon Byrd (85) and John Buck (80) have struck out more.

Josh Satin has played well in Davis' absence, hitting .361 with nine doubles, one homer and eight RBI. The Mets appear committed to Davis as a big part of their future, but he hasn't even looked like a guy who can hit big-league pitching so far this season.

Grade: D

Second base

Daniel Murphy is again quietly having a strong all-around season at second base, hitting .270 with 31 extra base hits, 39 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Murphy isn't hitting for as high an average as he did in previous years, but he's added some power, having already matched last year's output of six homers.

His on-base percentage has dipped to .303 from .332 last season and .362 the year before that. Still, only David Wright (.396) and Byrd (.316) are better at getting on base.

Murphy isn't playing at an All-Star level, but he's been healthy, consistent and is able to do a little bit of everything. Any team could use a player like him.

Grade: B—

Third base

Wright is Mr. Met. Wright, who signed a contract extension in the offseason that will keep him in Queens through the 2020 season, is in the midst of yet another strong season at the hot corner.

With a .304 batting average, 21 doubles, 13 homers, 44 RBI and just nine errors in 277 chances in the field, Wright is the team's most well-rounded position player.

It might not be a career year for Wright, but he's doing it all without much help in the lineup around him.

Grade: A+

Shortstop

Ruben Tejada showed flashes of potential as the everyday shortstop in 2012, but he has regressed in 2013.

Through 50 games, Tejada was hitting .209 and had a .267 on-base percentage. He had 10 doubles and 10 RBI and just two stolen bases. He landed on the disabled list with a right quad strain on May 30.

Tejada is healthy and back on the field, but he's playing at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Omar Quintanilla has filled in since Tejada's injury, and Quintanilla has been a bit better. He's hitting .238, but getting on base at a .320 clip and has six doubles, two triples and two home runs.

When Jose Reyes left for free agency following the 2011 season, Tejada seemed like a good backup plan at the time. Now there is a question as to whether Tejada is a major-league player at all.

Grade: D

Outfield

General manager Sandy Alderson joked about his roster during the GM meetings last November, saying "Outfield? What outfield?"

The team's outfield situation hasn't been great, but it's been better than what fans were expecting over the winter.

Byrd, picked up off the scrap heap, leads the team with 15 home runs and 51 RBI. He's also hitting .271, but has drawn just 17 walks to his 85 strikeouts. He's become a regular in the middle of the lineup and he could even net team a mid-level prospect in a trade later this month.

Lucas Duda offered power and walks, hitting .235 with 13 doubles, 11 home runs and 23 RBI in 68 games. His on-base percentage (.353) was 118 points higher than his batting average. Duda, however, landed on the DL with a strained muscle between his ribs in late June. He played five games at first base after Ike Davis was sent to Triple-A and before his injury.

The center-field spot has been a rotating door among a number of players. Collin Cowgill was the opening-day starter, but he's since been designated for assignment and now plays for the Angels. Rick Ankiel had a 20-game stint and struck out 25 times in 66 at-bats and he's gone, as well. Juan Lagares, 24, made his major-league debut on April 23. He offers speed and defense in the field, but he's hitting .234 and has drawn just four walks in 147 plate appearances.

Eric Young Jr., acquired in a trade for pitcher Collin McHugh on June 18, has been the leadoff hitter the team has needed. He's hitting .308 with eight doubles, one triple and 10 RBI in 24 games. Young, who has played mostly in left but who can also play center and second base, has stolen eight bases in 11 attempts.

The outfield hasn't been great, but it certainly hasn't been the weak point it figured to be in spring training.

Grade: B—

Bench

Justin Turner is on pace to replicate the season he had in 2012 as the team's super utility man. He doesn't hit for much power, but he's provided three pinch-hit RBI and can play anywhere in the infield. Kirk Nieuwenhuis has played himself into more time in the outfield with a handful of strong games this month. Satin is also in line for more at-bats.

Jordany Valdespin, on the other hand, has been nothing but trouble all season. He drew the ire of teammates after watching a home run he hit in a May 10 loss to the Pirates. Terry Collins inserted him into the game the next day as a pinch-hitter and he was immediately plunked by Pirates pitcher Bryan Morris. Valdespin's teammates didn't immediately rush to his defense.

Prior to Sunday's game, Valdespin was demoted to Triple-A because the Mets needed another pitcher for the series finale at Pittsburgh. He reportedly threw a tantrum after hearing the news. Valdespin could have been key to the team as a versatile player, pinch-hitter and pinch-runner, but his .188 batting average and his attitude likely leave him out of the big club's plans for the time being.

Grade: C

Manager

Collins has had plenty on his plate this season between Valdespin's antics, Davis' demotion and trying to corral expectations of young starters Harvey and Wheeler.

Collins' job can't be easy. On top of the off-the-field distractions, he doesn't have much to work with on the field. For the second straight season, he has few viable options in the bullpen. His outfield choices are limited.

Still, Collins has managed to say all the right things, maintain a positive atmosphere and, most of all, earn the respect of his players.

Mets fans understand. They showered him with a loud ovation during the National League introductions at Tuesday's All-Star Game at Citi Field.